Gigabit-rate data transmission has been achieved in the 60-GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band using ASK modulation with transceiver modules consisting of several GaAs integrated circuits (ICs) mounted on a ceramic substrate. An example of such prior art technology can be found in a publication by K. Ohata et al., “Wireless 1.25 Gb/s Transceiver Module at 60-GHz Band”. It is a goal of the present invention to provide a single-IC receiver or transceiver in less expensive silicon process technology which supports multiple modulation formats, including ASK modulation.
Product detectors are well known in the literature for detection of ASK or AM signals. Examples of such detectors in the prior art include an excerpt from Solid-State Radio Engineering by Krauss, Bostian, and Raab, and from Radio-Frequency Electronics by Hagen. This disclosure describes an improved product detector which is capable of operation at gigabit data rates and with good linearity on millivolt-level IF input signals, which has high input impedance so as not to detune the IF input circuit to which it is connected, and which can be easily powered down so as not to load the IF input circuit or consume power when the receiver is used in other modulation modes.